Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-08-31
OLD RATES VICTORY.
How Wise Mule Defended ner rnssrs

How y Wise Mule Defended Her Interest,"
in n Narrow Mountain Tratl.
In 1910, says tho author of ePionecr
Times in California;" Bill Liddle had q
paca-train of eight large mules at work
for trader in one Of the northern mincs.
One day he loaiel his train heavily and
started for a mining camp far in the in
terror. On this trip he was obliged %
pass along q dangerous trail some two
miles in length. 1t was cut into tho side
of a rugged cliff that over hung the river.
It was just wide enough for loaded
mule or horse to walk on safely, with the
clif on one side and fearful precipice Oh
the other.
Bill started his train in on this pass
with old "Kata," q heavy, square-buIlt
bay mule, cs usual on the lead. Old Kate
Was an animal Of rare intelligence. He
had not advanced far on the narrow trail
when Kate gave q loud bray, and In q mo.
meat all the mules were standing still
just tahcad was an unloadod train Of fifteen
California mules, approaching from the
other direction on jog-trot 1t was Inn
possible for Bill TO turn his mules around
with their loads on, and thore was NO
room 10 unload, no was therc room tox
the mules CT the two trains to pass with
out alnloSt surc destruction Bill raised
himself 10 the saddle, and, in furious
tone, called on the other conductor tostop
his train. This be did, but told Bill that
he would not go back on the trail, because
it was two miles to the end q the cliff
and Bill would lose only a few hundred
yards by going back. Bill explained the
impossibiiity of turning his large Amer
ican mules, or OF unloading them on such
narrow trail
ALI this while old Kate stood right In
the center of the trail, her fore logs well
apart az If 10 brace herself, hcr nose
lower than usual, aud hcr long, heavy
ears thrown forward as if aimed a. tho
head mule OF the other train, while her
oycs seemed hxel on the animals mo-
tions.
''Wen," said the conductor Of the Cali
fornia mules, surlily, Il don't care J
won't go back It's your place to got
out, and If | lose mule, youth have 70
pay for it." Then, cracking hts whip,
he called to his head mufe: '~Got nm
Sail"
His mules seemed to know that there
was danger. Sal, tho leader, hcgged
close to the rocks and made an excited
rush forward to get inside Kate Old
Kate had not moved o muscle, aud stood
just in tao ccntcr of tho trail as OF first
BIZ od for momout that she did
not danger of letting Sal got the
inside. 4 again raising himself In the
saddle he called at the top Of his voices
''Kate, go for themi Pitch 'em all oVoss
boardi"
Before Bill's order wns out old Keo0
gave an uncarthly bray as il In answer;
az the same time she dropped on her iCneca.
with her head stretched out close ason0
the rocks, her neck and lower jaw rubbing
The trail, and received Sal across her neck
In a second more poor Sal was high In The
air and then dropped heavily into the
river below. Kate, kccping her kneeliug
POSITION, waited for tho next mule, which
she sent after Sal The California mules
huddled close together In fear Of the
kneeling monster before them, but their
driver, maddened by his loss, hallooed aud
whipped them on. He was oping that by
sudden and furious rush thcy could oo
mado TO leap and dash over Kate, and then
he could distodGc the rest OF the train and
get even for his loss. But he did not know
oil Kate.
Ia minute one, two and three more o8
the mules went after Sal into the river.
The remainder sat back sullenly and ro-
fused TO movo for shouting or whtpes
Old Kato rose to her feet and stood as bc-
fore, with her cars dropped forward, as II
nothing had happened. The discomhtod
conductor, seeing himself worstcd, turn
ed his mules, one by one, on the trail, aud
went back with fivo less than when he
started. The two conductors won't 70
have the affair settled before an aicaide,
who promptly geve decision in favor OF
Bill. and, with the rough-aud -rcady Jus
tice mcted out in those times, ordered the
other driver to pay an ounce Of gu6e q
the cos Is OF court :.